Hood vent turn signals axed for 2017 Mustang

The 2017 Mustang is now showing up at dealership lots around the country with a few minor changes like the addition of new colors and package tweaks. Missing for 2017 is the much touted hood mounted turn-signals that made their debut on the 2016 mustang GT.

New colors for 2017 include the return of Grabber Blue and two new shades, Lightning Blue and White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat. As always, when new colors arrive others depart. Competition Orange, Kona Blue, Guard and Deep Impact Blue are gone.

A new wheel design, though barely new has joined the fray including a new black wheel for the black accent package. Tire choices and availability have been switched around too. The Premier Trim and Accent Group for the interior gets a new color combination of red and black.

Deleted are the hood-mounted turn-signals Ford made such a big deal about last year. They were the return of the long loved and awaited turn-signal indicators like those found on the 1967 and some 1968 Mustangs.

Mustang history they were. They were heritage. Now they are gone. Why? One reason might be that they were useless. In our test of the 2016 Mustang GT/CS they could not be seen from the driver seat or the passenger seat.

The design of the hood and seating position precluded anyone in the car less than six-feet tall from seeing them at all. They were a design fail at best, a gimmick at worst. While some might miss them for sentimental reasons, anyone who’s driven a 2016 GT wont miss them as they’ve never seen them.

Aside that, mechanical changes for 2017 are none. Engines, transmissions, specifications roll over unchanged from 2016. No big news is really expected in the way of 2017 specialty models either.

It’s the 2018 Mustang that is expected to receive a mid-cycle styling refresh which will be front and rear fascia tweaks for the most part. A 10-speed automatic transmission that Ford co-developed with GM and also appears in the new Camaro is expected to join the Mustang too.

Powertrain changes for the 2018 model aren’t entirely know if many. A Mach 1 has been rumored for some time and is all but expected now as is a more powerful GT-500.